On the road to a revolution, The Star


Date: January 1, 1970
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This story is about one of the two women standing for local elections in Mozambique. While claiming to be na?ve about politics, she is in touch with all the issues of local concern. Through her, links are made between the local and the regional (eg South African tourists who lounge on the beeches but bring their on food and make little contribution to the local economy) as well as the international (eg the fishing zones that have been plundered by European fishermen).

This article may be used to:
 
  • Illustrate what is meant by mainstreaming gender in politics and economics, as well as making links between the local and the global.
 
Training exercises
 
1)      Do a quick quiz. How many women are there in local government in your country? What proportion of the total does this constitute? Can you name any of the women councillors? Is it important to have women in this sphere of governance? Why?
 
2)      With reference to the case study:
 
  • What impression do you have of Aida Chicalia after reading this article? Is she naïve about politics, as she claims to be?
  • What are the key issues to be tackled in the area?
  • In what ways does Chicalia bring a “woman’s perspective” to these issues?
  • Do women being a different perspective to politics in general, and to local politics in general? Is it important for women to be equally represented in politics?
  • Why do you think there are so few women running for local elections in , when has the highest proportion (36 percent, after the 2004 elections) of women in parliament? 
  • In what way does the image and caption in this article challenge traditional notions of women in politics?  
  • In what way does this article illustrate what is meant by “mainstreaming gender” in media coverage?
  • Would you regard this article as an example of good journalism? Why?

Trainer’s notes

 
General: This is a rare example of an article on a woman running for local elections, as well as insight into the kind of on-the-ground experience that they bring. The irony is that – perhaps typical of the tendency by women to be self-effacing- Chicalia regards herself as “naïve”.  It is a good entry point for discussing the different perspective that women bring to politics, especially at the local level.
 
Exercise one:
Despite the lip service being paid to local government in most of our countries, local politics are still regarded as the poor cousin of national politics. The chances are that most people in the class will know little about local politics in their country, let alone women’s representation.  
 
 
Exercise two:
Use the case study to draw out the following:
 
  • The overriding impression of Chicalia is one of an active participant in her community, with a keen understanding of the issues, an ability to link the local to the regional, to the global and a positive outlook (even if she loses, life will continue). She is also hands on: eg the minor operation she performed when a fisherman got a hook stuck in his hand, and fixing the roof of a local school. Chicalia is a good illustration about the fact that politics should not be about hollow rhetoric (as is often the case with male politicians) but about real issues. It is likely to be this, rather than her self proclaimed “naivety” that attracts voters.
  • In a short space, the article packs in a host of challenges: 80 percent of the inhabitants are women (could have been explained that this is due to Inhambane’s proximity to South Africa, and most of the men are migrant workers); municipal by laws that have done women like Chicalia out of business; South African tourists who are making little contribution to the local economy; the need for hospitals and schools; HIV/AIDS and malaria as well as the plundering of fishing fields by foreign companies.
  • The women’s perspective to these issues is cleverly woven in: Chicalia is quoted as saying there are more women than men in the area and they work harder; the woman voter who airs her views on South African tourists; as well as Chicalia’s practical, solution-oriented approach to local politics.
  • With regard to women’s different perspective to politics, see additional resources below. This article makes a convincing case that there are issues that women feel strongly about, and that their solution-oriented approach especially at local level adds an important qualitative dimenion to politics.
  • It is indeed bizarre that so few women are involved in local politics in .  This is probably due to the fact that a) until recently local government has hardly even been considered politics in many countries and b) the ruling Frelimo party, that has a thirty percent quota for women at national level, has not applied its mind to local government. For more on gender and local government refer to additional sources below.
  • The image is refreshing. Traditionally, women have been in the wings of campaigns, doing the work, organising, and/or supporting male candidates. Chicalia is in the front seat of the bakkie, running for office, a candidate in her own right with a strong message to voters.
  • This article is not about gender per se. However, it profiles one of two women running in the local elections and brings a gender perspective to many of the issues.
  • The fact that Chicalia is one of only two women candidates makes her newsworthy by any conventional definition. Following a candidate on the campaign trail, seeing how she interacts with voters and bringing out the issues in this active way (instead of through speeches and rallies where men are likely to be the speakers) is best practise election coverage.      
 
 


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